Water containment systems are designed to hold water and various pollutants, particles, and objects found in the water until such time as the water can be removed in such a manner that those pollutants, particles, and objects are left behind. In some cases, the water containment system is a basin or container. In other cases, the water containment system is a water reservoir to hold water runoff during construction. Generally, a water containment system is designed to allow for an influx of water holding the various pollutants, particles, and objects and the outlet of relatively clean water. The water is clean relative to the amount of pollutants, particles, and objects found in the water containment system. Such water containment systems are usually not designed to purify the water exiting the system.
The rate of water influx and outlet is important to the design of a water containment system to insure the water containment system does not overflow, thereby sending the various pollutants, particles, and/or objects into the surrounding environment, or dry up, potentially clogging the outlet system and/or sending the various pollutants, particles, and/or objects into the area where the relatively clean water was being sent. Therefore, it is important to know the flow rate of the water exiting the system. The current invention provides for an apparatus and method for removing relatively clean water from a water containment system.